15 Best Acoustic Guitars You Can Buy: a Guide to Making the Right Choice
Your acoustic guitar can be an extension of your personality and your home’s style. Choose a design that reflects your own personal style and aesthetic, and be sure to invest in quality pieces that will last you a long time.
Whether you're a beginner, an intermediate or an aspiring virtuoso, take a look at our favorite acoustic guitars that are currently available for purchase and choose the one that suits your playing style and your budget.
Our list features a diverse range of acoustic guitars that cover almost any musical genre, spanning from timeless classics to modern marvels.
What Should You Consider When Buying an Acoustic Guitar?
Finding the right acoustic guitar involves a mix of personal preference, play style, and budget. Some of the key features of a great acoustic guitar are high-quality electronics, neck profile that facilitates good playability, build quality and design.
High Quality Electronics
Electronics in acoustic guitars, primarily in the form of pickups and preamps, allow for the amplification of the instrument's sound without losing its natural tone and resonance. This amplification becomes vital for performances in larger venues or during recording sessions. Furthermore, it opens up the possibility of modifying the guitar's sound using effects pedals and equalizers, enabling a wider variety of tonal possibilities and facilitating the creation of unique sounds and styles.
Many acoustic guitars also come with onboard preamps that offer tone shaping controls right at the guitarist's fingertips. This feature allows the player to adjust their sound on the fly, adapting to different songs, venues, or simply personal preference. Thus, the presence of electronics in acoustic guitars enriches the playing experience, offering enhanced sound control and adaptability.
Guitar Neck Profile
The shape of a guitar neck has a huge impact on playability and comfort, as well as sound. Your personal preference, playing style and hand size all play a role in choosing the right neck shape. Thinner, flatter neck profiles allow for easier and more comfortable fast playing. Modern acoustic guitars usually have a C neck profile - as these necks are slim, slightly curved and are very comfortable to play.
Guitar Build Quality and Design
Guitar build quality matters because it directly impacts the sound, playability, durability, resale value, and overall satisfaction of the instrument.
High-end acoustic guitars use premium tonewoods that provide great sound and tone. Spruce, especially Sitka spruce, is often used for the top of the guitar due to its strength and weight ratio, providing a dynamic range and clear articulation. Cedar tops yield a warm, rich tone. The back and sides are usually made from hardwoods like mahogany or rosewood. The neck often uses durable woods like mahogany or maple, while the fretboard typically employs rosewood or ebony.
While often overlooked, design plays an important role in choosing the right acoustic guitar. The more the instrument appeals to you, the more likely you will pick it up and play it. So investing in a well-built, good-looking guitar can provide a rewarding playing experience and contribute to your musical journey.
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15 Best Acoustic Guitars You Can Buy
Takamine EF341SC Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Beloved by Bruce Springsteen, the Takamine EF341SC is a meticulously crafted acoustic-electric guitar that delivers superb sound in any setting.
One factor behind the impressive sound of the EF341SC is its solid cedar top, which produces an ideal balance of warm highs and tight lows, avoiding any boomy resonance. The maple back and sides complement the top beautifully, while a sturdy mahogany neck enhances durability, ensuring it will stay straight and reliable for years to come. The 20-fret rosewood fingerboard is a traditional choice that adds to the acoustic-electric guitar's appeal.
The under-saddle pickup uses Takamine's unique Palathetic design, which increases the mass of the elements and individually senses each string, leading to a more natural tone. The built-in CT4B II preamp features a 3-band equalizer and an onboard tuner with frequency calibration capabilities. This powerful electronics pair ensures a stellar sound performance at any event.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Mahogany neck
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale: 25.4"
- Top: Cedar top
- Body: Maple
- Electronics: CT-4B II Preamp with Palathetic Pickup
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: Yes
- Cutaway: Yes
- Tuner: Yes
- Price range: $1500 - $2000
Yamaha FG830 Acoustic Guitar
The Yamaha FG830 acoustic guitar is a player’s dreadnought at an extremely affordable price. Ideal for home, studio, or stage, the FG830 features all the classic elements you expect in a dreadnought acoustic guitar.
The Yamaha FG830 is built with a solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides, making the acoustic guitar a great choice for singer/songwriter performers as well as student level players.
The neck, made of solid mahogany, showcases a swift, slim profile that is comfortable and easy to play. The 20-fret rosewood fingerboard is bound around the edges, presenting a tidy appearance and a smooth touch.
The hardware is completed with premium sealed die-cast tuners, ensuring tuning precision and stability.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Nato neck
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale: 25.5"
- Top: Solid Spruce top
- Body: Rosewood
- Electronics: None
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: Yes
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $250 - $500
Martin GPC-11E Road Series Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The Road Series GPC-11E is perfect for the gigging intermediate to advanced player looking for a reliable instrument. This acoustic-electric guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top and solid sapele back & sides in a 14 fret Grand Performance cutaway.
Solid wood construction is the mark of a good guitar, and the GPC-11E offers solid Sitka spruce top and solid sapele back & sides. This produces a warm, balanced tone with a little sparkle in the highs.
Following the footsteps of Martin's Standard Series in 2018, the Road Series models have been redesigned for 2019. Mother-of-Pearl pattern fingerboard dots and rosette, plus a faux tortoise pickguard, give this acoustic-electric guitar a truly new, high-end look.
The GPC-11E is equipped with Fishman MX-T electronics, featuring volume & tone controls and a user-friendly tuner, all subtly hidden in the guitar's sound hole. An added advantage is the auto-mute function that activates when the tuner is in use, ensuring your tuning process remains discreet.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Performing Artist
- Fingerboard: Richlite
- Scale: 25.4"
- Top: Solid Sitka Gloss Top
- Body: Sapele
- Electronics: Fishman MX-T Electronics
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: Yes
- Tuner: Yes
- Price range: $1000 - $1500
Fender CD-60S Mahogany Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
The redesigned Fender Classic Design Series CD-60S dreadnought acoustic guitar boasts the warm, mellow tone of an all-mahogany body.
Fender's goal was to craft an affordable acoustic guitar that would appeal to both beginners and experienced guitarists seeking a cost-effective practice instrument.
The CD-60S, an entry-level model in the Classic Design series, features mahogany back and sides along with a 22-fret walnut fingerboard with a 25.3" scale. Its dreadnought-sized body offers a traditional full-bodied tone with ample projection.
An ideal selection for any aspiring musician, the CD-60S ensures a good playing experience.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Mahogany neck
- Fingerboard: Walnut
- Scale: 25.3"
- Top: Solid Sitka Spruce top
- Body: Mahogany
- Electronics: None
- Frets: 22
- Solid Top: Yes
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $0 - $250
Taylor Academy 10e Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Designed with the beginner guitarist in mind yet equally apt for seasoned players seeking a budget-friendly guitar, the Taylor Academy Series showcases Taylor's signature sleek necks, a comfortable armrest, good sound, and quality construction.
Ideal for strummers and flatpickers on a budget, the Taylor Academy 10e features a big-voiced Dreadnought body that's made from layered sapele back & sides with a solid Sitka spruce top to produce warm lows and a nice top-end punch.
This acoustic-electric guitar also features an ergonomic armrest, which offers an ultra-comfortable playing experience while adding an elegant look.
The 20-fret sapele neck offers great playability thanks to its slim profile design, shorter 24-7/8" scale length, narrower 1-11/16" nut width, low action, and light gauge strings.
The Taylor A10e comes equipped with onboard ES-B electronics featuring Taylor Expression System 2 piezo design elements for great plugged-in sound. The preamp further enhances the guitar's versatility with a built-in digital chromatic tuner.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Maple neck
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale: 24.875"
- Top: Solid Sitka Spruce top
- Body: Sapele
- Electronics: ES-B electronics featuring Taylor Expression System 2 piezo
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: Yes
- Price range: $500 - $1000
Martin D-10E Road Series Sitka Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The Road Series D-10E is great for value-conscious players looking for a full-sized, solid wood acoustic with the superior Martin tone that has shaped generations of music.
Solid wood construction is the mark of a good guitar, and the Martin Road Series D-10E offers solid Sitka spruce top and solid sapele back & sides. This produces a warm, balanced tone with a little sparkle in the highs.The acoustic-electric guitar has a Richlite fingerboard and bridge, satin finish body and a hand-rubbed neck finish.
The acoustic-electric guitar is equipped with Fishman MX-T electronics, featuring volume & tone controls and a user-friendly tuner, all subtly hidden in the guitar's sound hole. An added advantage is the auto-mute function that activates when the tuner is in use, ensuring your tuning process remains discreet.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: High Performance neck
- Fingerboard: Richlite
- Scale: 25.5"
- Top: Solid Sitka Spruce top
- Body: Sapele
- Electronics: Fishman MX-T Electronics
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: Yes
- Price range: $500 - $1000
Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster is designed to provide the best of both acoustic and electric realms. Drawing numerous features from the American Acoustasonic introduced in 2019, Fender has tailored this model to be more approachable for professional musicians.
Its hollow body, inspired by the classic Telecaster, is naturally loud and resonant, projecting ample sound. This ensures the guitar sounds equally impressive whether played casually or live on stage.
The acoustic-electric guitar sports a Modern Deep C profile neck that delivers the feel of an electric guitar, but is crafted from mahogany, a material more common in acoustics. The rosewood fingerboard, with a comfortable 12" radius, further enhances playability.
The Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster has two pickups: a Fishman undersaddle piezo and a Tim Shaw-designed N4 magnetic in the bridge position offering six voicings. Each position of the 3-way switch yields a pair of distinctive voices that can be played individually or blended. The electric voice pair provides clean and twangy Telecaster tones, along with richer single-coil sounds. The acoustic voice pair replicates the sound of a short-scale, 000-sized mahogany guitar or a traditional rosewood dreadnought. The final voice pair delivers a combination of clean lo-fi and lo-fi crunch sounds.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Mahogany neck
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale: 25.5"
- Top: Solid Sitka Spruce top
- Body: Mahogany
- Electronics: Fender Acoustasonic Noiseless; Fishman Under-Saddle Transducer
- Frets: 22
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $1000 - $1500
Takamine GD11MCE-NS Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The Takamine GD11MCE-NS blends the tonal warmth and balance of mahogany with the sonic horsepower of the classic Dreadnought body shape.
Constructed entirely from mahogany, the GD11MCE-NS comes dressed in a natural finish that showcases mahogany's beautiful wood grain.
The smooth cutaway design allows for comfortable access to the higher frets. Other features include a 21-fret mahogany neck, a laurel fingerboard with a 42.5mm nut width, and Takamine TP-4T electronics for great plugged-in sound and performance.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Mahogany neck
- Fingerboard: Laurel
- Scale: 25.5"
- Top: Mahogany
- Body: Mahogany
- Electronics: Takamine TP-4T electronics
- Frets: 21
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: Yes
- Tuner: Yes
- Price range: $250 - $500
Martin LXK2 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
The Martin LXK2 Little Martin, a compact, short-scale acoustic guitar, is an excellent choice for those aiming to perfect their fingerpicking skills. Despite its small size, the LXK2 produces a tone that is surprisingly full, especially when compared with other small acoustics.
Constructed with a Hawaiian Koa high-pressure laminate body, back and sides, a natural Stratabond neck, and 20-fret solid FSC Certified Richlite fingerboard, this guitar offers quality and durability that are impressive for its price point.
With a 23" scale, the Martin LXK2 is perfect for children or anyone seeking a compact guitar. These smaller-sized guitars are appreciated by players across all skill levels. Beginners often find them easier to handle while mastering the basics, while professionals favor small-bodied acoustics for their remarkable sound, when recording fingerpicking sessions.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Stratabond
- Fingerboard: Richlite
- Scale: 23"
- Top: Koa top
- Body: Koa
- Electronics: None
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: Yes
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $250 - $500
Taylor GS Mini Mahogany Acoustic Guitar
Inspired by the big, bold sound of Taylor's Grand Symphony body shape, the Mini scales things down without skimping on sound, packing lots of tone into a comfortable size and giving you an acoustic guitar that's fun to play.
The Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar features a solid tropical mahogany top with layered sapele back and sides. The mahogany top delivers a rootsier sound than a spruce top. The GS Mini Mahogany is constructed with X-bracing featuring Taylor's patented relief rout.
The GS Mini also features Taylor’s patented NT neck, along with an African ebony bridge and a 20-fret fingerboard. Additional aesthetic features include an inlaid rosette, top purfling, and a pickguard.
The Taylor GS Mini Mahogany is also prefitted for a proprietary magnetic soundhole pickup, the Taylor ES-Go, which can be purchased as an after-market add-on and can easily be installed. This pickup/preamp combo also includes a built-in digital chromatic tuner.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Sapele neck
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale: 23.5"
- Top: Mahogany top
- Body: Sapele
- Electronics: None
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $500 - $1000
Taylor 214ce Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Part of Taylor's 200 series, the Taylor 214ce acoustic-electric guitar is a solid option for all types of guitar players, from the new learner to the experienced pro.
The 214ce features Taylor’s popular Grand Auditorium body style, which incorporates the breadth and depth of a dreadnought but with a narrower waist. This gives the Grand Auditorium-bodied acoustic guitar a more refined appearance and enhanced treble.
Constructed with layered Indian rosewood for the back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top, this acoustic-electric guitar produces bright highs and a resonant, warm bass. This tonal balance renders the guitar a versatile musical instrument, capable of delivering powerful cowboy chords and performing elegantly in more nuanced styles like flatpicking or fingerpicking. Crisp white binding, a three-ring rosette, and a Venetian cutaway for ease of access to the upper fretboard notes are some of the noticeable features.
The guitar is equipped with Taylor's ES2 System, a ground-breaking pickup design that embodies the latest in Taylor's continuous innovation in acoustic guitar amplification. At the core of the Expression System 2 is Taylor’s patented behind-the-saddle pickup, which comprises three uniquely situated and individually calibrated pickup sensors. Paired with Taylor’s custom-designed preamp, this system generates great amplified tone and responsiveness.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Mahogany neck
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale: 25.5"
- Top: Sitka Spruce top
- Body: Rosewood
- Electronics: Taylor Expression System 2 Electronics
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: Yes
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $1000 - $1500
Ibanez AW54CE Artwood Acoustic-Electric Guitar
The allure of Ibanez's Artwood series acoustic guitars lies in their blend of combination of quality tonewoods and fine construction techniques. To make the Artwood AW54CE acoustic a great-sounding yet affordable guitar, Ibanez began by selecting the best materials for the money and then applied decades upon decades of guitar-crafting experience to them.
The guitar's striking appearance immediately captures your attention, with its mahogany body and ovangkol fingerboard that produce bold sound. Part of this resonant sound can be attributed to the Dovetail Neck Joint, incorporated at the 14th fret, which enhances sustain.
The Ibanez AW54CE Artwood is fitted with a T-bar Fishman Sonicore under-saddle pickup, powered by the Ibanez AEQ-TP2 preamp. This setup offers bass, treble, and volume controls, allowing you to quickly dial in a great tone.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: C Shape Nyatoh neck
- Fingerboard: Ovangkol
- Scale: 25.6"
- Top: Solid Okoume top
- Body: Okoume
- Electronics: Fishman Sonicore Pickup System with Ibanez AEQ210TFF Preamp
- Frets: 22
- Solid Top: Yes
- Cutaway: Yes
- Tuner: Yes
- Price range: $250 - $500
Martin DX Johnny Cash Acoustic-Electric Guitar
In the early 1970s, Martin Guitar was tasked to create an all-black lacquered D-35 for the country music legend Johnny Cash. Despite it being an unprecedented request, a custom all-black D-35 was crafted for the "Man in Black," which Cash played on stage for the subsequent two decades. In 2006, Martin unveiled a tribute D-35 Johnny Cash edition.
The Martin DX Johnny Cash, designed in partnership with John Carter Cash and the Cash Foundation management team, boasts a traditional dreadnought body shape built with Jett black HPL top, back, and sides. Like its predecessor, this acoustic-electric guitar features includes a custom fingerboard inlaid with stars and the "CASH" logo. Johnny Cash's signature appears on the rosette and label.
Equipped with Fishman MX electronics, the Martin DX Johnny Cash comes with a soft gig bag bearing the "CASH" logo embroidery, and is strung with Martin's Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 strings.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Black Birch Laminate Performing Artist Neck
- Fingerboard: Richlite
- Scale: 25.4"
- Top: High-Pressure Laminate (HPL)
- Body: High-Pressure Laminate (HPL)
- Electronics: Fishman MX Electronics
- Frets: 19
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $500 - $1000
Taylor Big Baby Taylor BBT Acoustic Guitar
The Big Baby Taylor is the largest of Taylor's miniature body designs and is well-suited for the player who wants the sound of a dreadnought without the larger body size.
A significant factor in the success of the Big Baby Taylor is the choice of tonewoods. Construction begins with walnut back and sides, a wood whose tone strikes a balance between rosewood's warmth and maple's resonant qualities. A Sitka spruce top is then added, delivering a balanced midrange and a lively response to picking. The neck is crafted from maple and features a 20-fret ebony fingerboard.
The Big Baby has the largest body shape of all Taylor's small-bodied acoustic guitars. It is a 15/16-sized dreadnought that still feels like a miniature guitar. With its reduced size, this acoustic guitar is ideally suited for players with smaller hands.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: Maple neck
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale: 25.5"
- Top: Sitka Spruce top
- Body: Walnut
- Electronics: None
- Frets: 20
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: No
- Price range: $250 - $500
Gretsch Guitars G9520 Jim Dandy Flat Top Acoustic Guitar
The Gretsch Jim Dandy Flat Top is a modern reimagining of the popular Rex parlor guitars of the '40s and '50s. Sporting a refined black finish, this guitar updates the aesthetic while preserving the classic acoustic sound. Although small-bodied, it exudes a full tone, making it ideal for both picked and fingerstyle playing and a valuable addition to your acoustic guitar collection.
The non-cutaway agathis body of the Jim Dandy Flat Top generates a warm, rounded tone with a lively response, thanks to the X-braced agathis top. The topload rosewood bridge, together with a compensated synthetic bone saddle, ensures consistent intonation along the neck's length.
Joining the body at the 12th fret, the 24" scale "C"-shape nato neck bears a comfortable, smooth-playing rosewood 18-fret fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays and contains a dual-action truss rod. The vintage 1950's style Gretsch 3x3 headstock, equipped with vintage-style open-gear die-cast tuning machines, proudly displays a retro Gretsch "T"-roof logo.
Ideal for songwriting, practice or even as a travel guitar, this compact acoustic guitar is great for beginners or seasoned pros alike. With its comfortable playability and a rich, woody vintage tone complemented by resonant bass, the Jim Dandy is sure to spark countless hours of joyful playing.
Features & Technical Specifications
- Neck: C Shape Nato neck
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale: 24"
- Top: Agathis top
- Body: Agathis
- Electronics: None
- Frets: 18
- Solid Top: No
- Cutaway: No
- Tuner: None
- Price range: $0 - $250
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